


In Confidence

by ruination_fangs



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-17 14:05:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14833686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruination_fangs/pseuds/ruination_fangs
Summary: The TA for Leia's class is very helpful. And intelligent, and inspiring, and so supportive, and absolutely gorgeous, and...





	In Confidence

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: Milla and another party member + "Need some help?"

“Need some help?”

The question is fairly quiet, but clearly audible in the hush of the school library, and Leia looks up. Late afternoon sunlight stripes the floor, slanting in through the evenly-spaced windows on the wall. In front of Leia’s table stands a young woman almost as radiant - long, wavy, golden hair loosely tied back, and several of her shirt buttons undone, revealing all of her collarbones and more skin than the school’s dress code probably allows.

Milla Maxwell. Leia swallows. She knows this girl, in passing, from several brief and professional conversations. She’s a teaching assistant in one of Leia’s classes. She’s probably a grad student. She might work at the library too, or at least she seems to spend a lot of time here, and that is definitely not a factor in why Leia has been coming here increasingly often herself.

“I, uh…” Leia falters, glancing back at her books. “Well, I am kind of stuck, but…”

It’s hard to look up. Milla’s gaze is always unflinching - maybe even intimidating, if her eyes weren’t so beautiful. Leia’s never seen a color quite like them, and she usually doesn’t have trouble looking people in the eye.

“What’s the problem?” Suddenly Milla is sliding into the seat next to Leia, leaning over to look at her notebook. Leia can’t help it - her face flushes and she has to steel herself not to flinch away from Milla’s shoulder almost brushing her own.

She focuses her gaze on her work. “Well, um, I’m writing an essay on the socioeconomic factors that led to the Battle of Fezebel Marsh, but I’m not sure if my sources are good enough, or the points are organized enough, or anything… I keep scratching things out and redoing them, heh.”

Her chuckle is weak, but Milla doesn’t seem to notice. She slides Leia’s notebook a little closer to herself. “Mind if I have a look?”

“Go ahead…”

Luckily Leia means it, because Milla has already started to survey the outline scrawled across the page. Oh god, Leia hopes her handwriting is legible. Jude often says he has trouble with it, and while that may be just an excuse half the time, Jude  _is_  a much better student than Leia is. There might be a reason he’s in a top-quality medical school and she’s still trying to figure out what she’s doing.

Milla nods a little, and Leia taps her pen against the open book in front of her, a frantic kind of nervousness. She glances at Milla’s face once, again. Suddenly Milla looks up, and Leia straightens, her eyes falling back to the table.

“It looks fine to me.” Milla leans back a little. “Just make sure you pick one topic for each section and stick to it.”

Leia’s whole body relaxes. “Really? I’m so glad you think so. Writing isn’t really my strong suit, so…”

Milla shakes her head. “Perhaps I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I’ve graded some of your papers. You do good work when you start with a clear outline. Just don’t let your writing get sidetracked and you’ll be fine.” Her eyes turn to meet Leia’s, and now for some reason Leia can’t look away. “Have some confidence in yourself. You’re smarter than you think.”

She smiles then, and Leia clearly feels her heart skip at least one beat. Her response seems to burn out under the force of her blush intensifying. Before she knows it, Milla is scooting her chair back and standing up.

Desperate to make the conversation last longer, even by just a few seconds, Leia manages, “Th-thanks. For the advice, and, you know…”

Milla smiles again, warm and somehow more familiar this time. “You’re quite welcome. Just ask if you need anything else.”

“Y-yeah, I will…”

Even after Milla has disappeared back around the bookshelves, it takes Leia several seconds to recover. Elation fills her chest as she realizes what just happened. Milla knows her - Milla recognizes her work. Milla thinks she has potential. Milla is actually quite approachable, and willing to help whenever Leia asks.

Maybe Leia will ask more often.


End file.
